The terrestrial globe is surmounted by a brass hour circle, within a calibrated full brass meridian and circular horizon band with engraved paper calendar and zodiac. It is raised on a hardwood stand with four turned legs ending in top-form feet, joined by a turned X-form stretcher.

Oceans and countries cream colored, land masses in shades of green, blue, yellow and other muted colors, some outlined in green. Oklahoma shown in its entirety as Indian Territory and "Dacota" shown as one territory. Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming shown in their post-1868 configurations but not with final boundaries. Alaska Territory shown. “Submarine Telegraph Cable” and “Submarine Telegraph (French)” shown in Atlantic Ocean. Tracks of explorers are indicated, including Columbus, Cook, Clerke, Gore, Vancouver, [de la] Perouse, and Wilkes. A partial outline of the Antarctic Continent is shown, especially south of Australia and Weddell's exploration below the Antarctic Circle is noted. There is a figure-8 analemma, called a "Table of Equation," in the Pacific. Some mountain ranges are shaded.

Historical notes are also indicated in the oceans, such as discovery dates of various islands and that, "The Pacific Ocean was discovered by Balboa in 1513. First navigated by Magellan in 1520. It extends from North to South 7,500 miles and from East to West 10,000 miles." An extensive note on the South Pacific islands explains: "Formerly the whole of the Islands in the S.E. and E. of Asia were included among the Asiatic Islands. With the exception of [several listed] they are now considered as forming a fifth ground division of the Globe called OCEANICA or the MARITIME WORLD, which is divided into three principal groups, namely, Malaysia [details listed], Australasia [details listed], and Polynesia [details listed].”

Franklin Globes were produced throughout the second half of the 19th Century in Troy, New York by a succession of globe makers, including H.B. Nims & Co. Read more about the company in our Guide to Globe Makers.

This globe has an H.B. Nims & Co. printed cartouche. Based on the fact that Dacota is shown as one territory, it was most likely published before H.B. Nims & Co. was renamed Nims & Knight (it later reverted to the name H.B. Nims & Co. in the 1890s). Nims & Knight globes showed North Dakota and South Dakota (based on an example previously sold by George Glazer Gallery).